Exporters have sought clarity from the government on the functioning of the eway bill when goods move from dry ports to sea ports for export and when they move between special economic zones within the same state.

Exporters have shot off a letter to the finance ministry seeking clarity on a number of issues so as to avoid problems at a later stage at a time when the Reserve Bank of India pointed out that the implementation and refund delays under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime seem to have led to working capital constraints for companies, which in turn might have hurt their exports in October 2017.

Days after the government deferred the roll out of the e-way bill due to technical glitches, exporters asked if any exemption in customs clearance would be given to goods when they move from inland container depots to ports on the lines of such relief given to imports.

A similar leeway has been given to imports when goods move from ports, airports, air cargo complex and land customs stations to an inland container depot or a container freight station. This may be looked into so as to facilitate exports, said Ajay Sahai, director general, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).